Edit page | Page history | Printable version

Engraving

1. The act or art of producing upon hard material incised or raised patterns, characters, lines, and the like; especially, the art of producing such lines, etc, in the surface of metal plates or blocks of wood. Engraving is used for the decoration of the surface itself; also, for producing an original, from which a pattern or design may be printed on paper.

2. That which is engraved; an engraved plate.

3. An impression from an engraved plate, block of wood, or other material; a print.

engraving on wood is called xylography; on copper, chalcography; on stone lithography. Engravings or prints take from wood blocks are usually called wood cuts, those from stone, lithographs.